Conservation Biology, Genetically Modified Organisms, and the Biosafety Protocol

Abstract:  Concerns have been raised regarding the potential adverse effects on biological diversity of the use of living modified organisms (LMOs, which are commonly known by similar terms such as genetically modified organisms). At the international level these concerns are addressed in part by an agreement known as the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and include potential toxic effects of insect-resistant crops on nontarget organisms and potential ecological effects of gene flow from modified crops, fish, microorganisms, or insects to wild species or counterparts. We reviewed the protocol's main provisions, including those dealing with risk assessment and risk management, decision making on imports, documentation accompanying shipments, and liability resulting from damages caused by LMOs. A medium-term program of work has been adopted by the parties, which includes the potential contribution of conservation biologists to delivering capacity building, developing risk assessment guidance, evaluating mechanisms of potential ecological damages from LMOs, and other issues. Conservation biologists and other experts have opportunities to influence the negotiations and implementation of the protocol by providing inputs at meetings, offering expertise to governments and organizations, and participating in or developing relevant projects and initiatives. Involvement of conservation biologists in the implementation and further development of the protocol would contribute to its effectiveness.     

Application of nanoparticle tracking analysis for characterising the fate of engineered nanoparticles in sediment-water systems

Novel applications of nanotechnology may lead to the release of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), which result in concerns over their potential environmental hazardous impact. It is essential for the research workers to be able to quantitatively characterise ENPs in the environment and subsequently to assist the risk assessment of the ENPs. This study hence explored the application of nanoparticle tracking system (NTA) to quantitatively describe the behaviour of the ENPs in natural sediment-water systems. The NTA allows the measurement of both particle number concentration (PNC) and particle size distribution (PSD) of the ENPs. The developed NTA method was applied to a range of gold and magnetite ENPs with a selection of surface properties. The results showed that the positively-charged ENPs interacted more strongly with the sediment than neutral and negatively-charged ENPs. It was also found that the citrate coated Au ENPs had a higher distribution percentage (53%) than 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid coated Au ENPs (20%) and citrate coated magnetite ENPs (21%). The principles of the electrostatic interactions between hard (and soft) acids and bases (HSAB) are used to explain such behaviours; the hard base coating (i.e. citrate ions) will interact more strongly with hard acid (i.e. magnetite) than soft acid (i.e. gold). The results indicate that NTA is a complementary method to existing approaches to characterise the fate and behaviour of ENPs in natural sediment.     

原生质体转化构建有机磷农药降解工程菌

降解有机磷农药甲胺磷、敌敌畏和对硫磷的菌株地衣芽孢杆菌 Ｐ１２（ Ｂａｃｉｌｌｕｓｌｉｃｈｅｎｉｆｏｒｍｉｓ） 经溶菌酶处理获得原生质体,加入降解乐果的供体菌 Ｇ１ Ｄ Ｎ Ａ,经ρ（ Ｐ Ｅ Ｇ６ ０００） ＝ ３００ ｇ Ｌ－ １ 诱导,在液体再生培养基中振荡培养ｔ＝ ２０ ｈ ,使其恢复细胞壁后,离心收集菌体,涂布于含乐果的基础培养基上,经筛选得一转化子 Ｊ Ｐ Ｚ．其菌落形态明显不同于出发菌株,乐果平板连续传代１０ 次,性状保持稳定．在θ＝ ３０ ℃,１００ ｒ／ｍｉｎ 的培养条件下,３ ｄ 内对ρ（ 甲胺磷） ＝ ０ ．５ ｇ Ｌ－ １ ,ρ（ 敌敌畏） ＝ ０ ．２ ｇ Ｌ－ １ ,ρ（ 对硫磷） ＝ ０ ．１ ｇ Ｌ－ １ ,ρ（ 乐果） ＝ ０ ．３ ｇ Ｌ－ １ 的降解率分别为 Ｒｄ ＝ ７９ ．１ ％ ,４６ ．７ ％ ,２９ ．４ ％ 和４６ ．４ ％ ．     

植物镉耐性/富集基因的筛选方法

植物耐受/富集镉（Cd）是一个复杂的过程,涉及转运蛋白家族、螯合蛋白家族、抗氧化系统等多个方面的参与。文章综述了植物Cd耐性/富集基因的筛选方法,包括抗性表达文库、Cd抗性突变体的图位克隆、基因差异表达、电子克隆。筛选Cd抗性植物cDNA酵母表达文库可鉴定与金属束缚、隔离及外排相关的膜转运蛋白;筛选重金属敏感拟南芥突变体和图位克隆突变基因可鉴定与谷胱甘肽和植物螯合肽合成相关的酶;第二代测序技术、基因差异表达分析则是鉴定Cd响应基因以及揭示金属型植物与非耐性植物表型差异分子基础的有效方法;电子克隆也被应用在模式植物中鉴定重金属转运蛋白家族的编码基因。在此基础上,简述了Cd耐性/富集基因在改良植物Cd耐性或富集上的应用。     

A critique of ethical and social issues of genetically modified crops

SUMMARY

The ethical and social issues of genetically modified crops as reported by the Nuffield Bioethics Committee are summarised. A critique of their findings is presented. It is argued that the apparent benefits are outweighed by the ecological, social and economic costs, and that the yields of some genetically modified crops are poorer when compared to conventional species. Furthermore, the current regulations are far too lax for consumer protection. There is an urgent need for a critical and disinterested review of the scientific basis of the research.     

Beyond Substantial Equivalence: Ethical Equivalence

The concept of substantial equivalence,introduced for the risk assessment of geneticallymodified (GM) food, is a reducing concept because itignores the context in which these products have beenproduced and brought to the consumer at the end of thefood chain. Food quality cannot be restricted to meresubstance and food acts on human beings not only atthe level of nutrition but also through theirrelationship to environment and society. To make thiscontext explicit, I will introduce an ``equivalencescale' for the evaluation of food chains (GM or notGM). By contrast with substantial equivalence, whichinvolves mainly quantitative, analytical methods ofevaluation, ``qualitative equivalence' refers to ``less'or non-substantial factors that require new methodsof evaluation based on qualitative principles.``Ethical equivalence' refers to factors that show themoral value contained in food products. To analyze thedifferent levels at which ethics is needed in foodchains, I will use the French principles: ``Liberty,Equality, Fraternity,' or freedom, equality,solidarity, and add a fourth principle:sustainability. Sustainability, solidarity, andfreedom can be applied to the evaluation ofenvironmental, socio-economic, and socio-culturalethical equivalence, respectively. Equality refers tojustice and should operate so as to guarantee thatsustainability, solidarity, and freedom are satisfied.I suggest that ethics can provide a basis for arenewal of the food chain concept. Besides QualityAssurance, it is now essential to develop an ``EthicalAssurance' and this equivalence scale could provide abasis to set up ``Ethical Assurance Standards' (EAS)for food chains.     

Biodegradation of azo dyes by genetically engineered azoreductase

A azoreductase gene with 537 bp was obtained by PCR amplification from Rhodobacter sphaeroides ASI. 1737. The enzyme,with a molecular weight of 18.7 kD, was efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli and its biodegradation characteristics for azo dyes were investigated. Furthermore, the reaction kinetics and mechanism of azo dyes catalyzed by the genetically engineered azoreductase were studied in detail. The presence of a hydrazo-intermediate was identified, which provided a convincing evidence for the assumption that azo dyes were degraded via an incomplete reduction stage.     

人工纳米材料对斑马鱼生态毒理效应研究进展

随着纳米技术的快速发展,人工纳米材料在光电、生物医药、化妆品等诸多领域得到了广泛应用。人工纳米材料在生产、使用和废弃处理等过程中,不可避免地通过水体、土壤、大气等进入环境,其对环境产生的生态效应逐渐引起国内外的广泛关注。斑马鱼(Danio rerio)作为一种重要的脊椎模式生物,在环境毒理学研究中应用广泛,可以作为检测人工纳米材料生态毒理效应的一种重要工具。本文介绍了人工纳米材料对水生态环境的影响及斑马鱼在生态毒理学研究中的优势,总结了其对斑马鱼的毒性效应,主要包括急性毒性和对个体发育的影响、对组织细胞及基因表达的影响,分析了人工纳米材料对斑马鱼的毒性机制,以期为人工纳米材料毒理学研究提供基础信息。     

制药废水处理生物技术的有效性

制药废水处理生物技术有效性的研究结果表明,XZEH公司原有处理方法的出水COD不能达到国家一级排放标准,其原因是缺少28%的曝气反应池体积.如果应用工程菌株Xhhh和Ebis信息软件的双重优化技术,可使生物负荷效率提高128%,所需曝气池体积可降低51%.对于提高制药废水的生物处理技术有效性和实现达标排放具有技术潜力.     

废水生物强化中基因工程菌的流失和环境生存状况研究

在废水生物强化处理中,基因工程菌从生物反应器向环境的流失会造成潜在生态风险.在传统活性污泥法反应器(CAS)和膜一生物反应器(MBR)中,考察了1株降解阿特拉津基因工程菌的流失和流失后在模拟自然环境中的生存状况.结果表明,基因工程菌在接种初期从反应器中流失的密度最大.在接种密度为1010CFU/mL时,CAS的最大流失密度接近接种密度,MBR的最大流失密度仅有102CFU/mL.在模拟自然环境中,流失密度是决定基因工程菌生存状况的主要因素.在CAS出水1010CFU/mL流失密度下,高种群密度基因工程菌在水体和土壤中生存时间较长(30 d以上),潜在生态风险较高;在MBR出水102CFU/mL流失密度下.基因工程菌在水体和土壤中很快衰亡,潜在生态风险较小.环境条件对基因工程菌生存状况具有影响,提高土壤的含水率、有机质含量以及环境选择压力的存在有利于基因工程菌生存.